


Something New

by WaterRolls



Category: Naruto
Genre: Blank Period, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, NaruHina - Freeform, Romance, jealous Naruto but he doesn't know why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24487651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaterRolls/pseuds/WaterRolls
Summary: NaruHina: Can a clueless boy ever figure out romance?Maybe, and definitely not without the help of friends who have the couple's best interests at heart.Or, how Naruto and Hinata got their changes in uniforms.Events take place during the blank period two years after the war and right before the movie, "Naruto: The Last," begins.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 8
Kudos: 76





	Something New

**Something New**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Black is the New Orange**

The bells of the store clanged against the door as it shut behind him. Naruto bowed himself out as the shop owner called out, "Don't forget that you've got your spare uniform available in a week, Naruto!"

"Got it! I'll pick it up then!" he replied.

He scratched at the collar of his neck as he walked towards the street.

"But, man, this is really itchy, though," Naruto muttered to himself. "I guess there's nothing I can do about it. It _is_ brand new, after all."

He suddenly spotted his reflection on a storefront window and stopped to check out his new mission gear. He shifted his shoulders and rolled his arms. The fabric felt a little stiff, but he could still move freely.

Not bad, he thought, looking at his jacket. The all-black top really did look cool. Of course, he needed his trademark orange, too. But it didn't seem as flashy as his old gear because he kept the color limited just to the pants. He probably should have chosen a plainer color, but he just couldn't leave out the orange. He grinned. He wouldn't be Naruto without it.

Still smirking at his reflection, he thought, _Probably shouldn't say that out loud to others, especially Sakura. She'd probably deck him and accuse him of being vain._

He wasn't, though. He was just glad to have a new look to match a new future he was looking forward to.

Naruto brought his attention back to his face then raked his hand through his hair—or what was left of it.

He frowned. This hairstyle, though, was going to take some time. The shorter haircut was just so different from what he was used to. He felt strange looking at the face staring back at him. It was still the same face, but there was something different. Something he couldn't completely explain to himself.

Suddenly, he smiled, as he recalled the conversation he'd had a few weeks ago with Shikamaru...

* * *

_Three weeks ago at a village near Konoha_

Naruto was breathing hard. He'd chased the villain through the woods and was finally able to knock him out. Quickly, before the man could recover, he wrapped him with the rope extracted from his backpack. That done, he left the man propped up and unconscious against the tree as he waited for his team to catch up with him.

"Nice job, Naruto!" Aoba panted as he finally caught up to him.

Naruto grinned back at Aoba. "Senpai! You guys are so slow!"

"Yeah, well you told us to leave it to you, so we did," retorted Aoba as he leaned down to make sure the villain wouldn't be able to escape. Now they just had to haul him back to the village that had requested their help.

"Proves to you how awesome I am!" Naruto said with a laugh.

He gazed into the horizon. "What happened to the others? Weren't they with you?"

Aoba stood up and squinted towards the direction Naruto was looking.

"They'll be here in a few minutes."

Naruto glanced back at the villain. He frowned. "I'm glad we finally caught our perp. Man, he was so hard to track. Almost lost him in that crowd of villagers."

"Yeah, but thank goodness you were able to chase him out of there without getting anybody else injured," Aoba said. "You've gotten faster turning on sage mode these days."

"Of course!" Naruto said, still waiting expectantly for Shikamaru and Chouji's arrival.

Sure enough, one of them strode into the clearing, taking his time.

Naruto waved his arms. "Shikamaru! You slowpoke! Hurry up."

Shikamaru ignored the jibe, saw the tied-up villain, and said, "Nice," nonchalantly as if he were out for a leisurely stroll.

"We can finally go home. Chouji's watching over a couple we caught, so we'll meet up with him after we get done here. I hate to admit it, but these guys did a better job hiding than I expected."

He stroked his chin, thinking to himself. "Maybe we should have requested one of the Hyuugas and their byakugan instead."

"What?! _My_ sage mode was fine!" Naruto glared at him and pointed to the unconscious thief. "How can you say that when this jerk is sitting here tied up? And it's all thanks to me!"

"Don't get cocky!" Shikamaru snapped. "Even with sage mode, it was still hard to pinpoint the true villain, wasn't it? Because their chakras were identical, you had trouble tracking down the real thief, didn't you?"

Naruto drew back from the accusation. He couldn't deny it.

Shikamaru continued, "I'm just saying, with the byakugan, maybe Hinata would've been able to differentiate their chakras."

Naruto humphed, knowing Shikamaru had a point. His sage mode was good, but the unexpected situation with the thief being a twin was new.

Originally, their mission had been clear. A village elder had asked for the Konoha ninjas' help apprehending a thief who'd stolen a precious relic. The elder had forgotten to mention their suspect had a twin, which had confused Naruto at first when he tried sensing the thief's chakra. He'd sense the same chakra coming from two different directions.

As he'd describe it to Shikamaru, his friend could only think of one reason: a family member having the same exact chakra. Shikamaru's theory turned out to be correct when the village elder confirmed it.

Naruto knew that when he got home, he'd need to fine-tune the chakra sensing part of his sage mode for future missions—in case the same thing happened again. Maybe he could ask Hinata when they got back to Konoha. She would know more about that and give him tips.

He wasn't going to let Shikamaru downplay the work he'd just accomplished, though.

"Yeah, yeah. Either way, we got the bad guy, didn't we?" he grumbled.

Shikamaru had to smile. "Yeah, can't deny that. No, really, nice job, Naruto. Mission accomplished."

Naruto laughed, his mood lifting. "Yeah! We finally get to go home!"

His mouth watered. "Ichiraku, here I come!"

Shikamaru and Aoba laughed.

"Let's go home guys," Shikamaru said. "I'm sure Choji will be the first to join you for that bowl of ramen."

Afterward, the Konoha ninjas turned over the captured thief to the village elder. The chief and his advisers had thanked the group with effusive praise. Naruto, though, was given special attention. They couldn't stop bowing and shaking his hand. Naruto's efforts during the Fourth Great Ninja War were still fresh in their minds even though the war ended a couple of years ago.

"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru suddenly said as they were walking towards Konoha. Exchanging friendly banter, Aoba and Choji, whose hand was stuck in a bag of potato chips, were a few steps ahead of them.

"Are you okay?" Shikamaru pointed at Naruto's torn sleeve. "You got scratched there. I missed that earlier."

"Huh?" Naruto looked at Shikamaru then at the spot where he was pointing. There, on his orange sweater, was the usual casualty from his missions: another tear.

He smiled and waved his hand. "Oh, yeah, I'm totally fine. Not hurt at all."

"Good. Glad you don't have any injuries."

Shikamaru was silent for a minute as if weighing his next words. He sent Naruto a sideways glance. "In that case, maybe you ought to stop by the clothing store and get a new set of mission gear. The one you've got now is raggedy."

"What? No way!" Naruto let out an offended snort.

Shikamaru sighed and muttered, "Pain in the ass."

He sighed again. "Look, the Hokage actually wanted me to talk to you about your uniform and this looks like the perfect time to do so."

"Wait, why?" Naruto scowled at Shikamaru but kept on walking. "Why do you and Kakashi-sensei care about my gear, anyway? I'm working my butt off with all these missions, aren't I?"

Naruto mumbled angrily under his breath. "And you guys are the ones who keep giving me all this work."

Shikamaru gave him the evil eye. "You want to become Hokage, right? Well, you can't become one without experience! The more missions, the more experience you get."

"I know that!" Naruto protested. "I'm not complaining about that. I just don't want to change this gear. It's fine."

He glanced down fondly at his familiar orange and black outfit.

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, but—"

"Ero-sennin got this for me," Naruto finally said in a quiet voice. "I don't want to give it up. It's one of the few things I have left of him."

Shikamaru stopped and grabbed Naruto's arm. This was delicate territory. He needed to be careful. Shikamaru had suspected that Naruto's attachment to his old uniform was based on emotion, especially to the memory of his old master. Unfortunately, though, that old uniform was giving Kakashi and the rest of Konoha a bad name. It didn't look good to have the hero of the Great War running around in a tattered old jumpsuit worn out with holes.

Naruto was looking mutinous. Shikamaru gritted his teeth. He was going to have to get tough.

He looked over Naruto from head to toe so long, it made both of them uncomfortable.

"Naruto," Shikamaru said, fighting through the embarrassment, "I know it's from Jiraiya-sama. But you can't see yourself so I'm going to tell you straight: Your collar's frayed. Your sleeves and pant legs are too short. You've gotten much taller than before so of course, your uniform's gotten shorter. There are holes all over the place, I can see the undershirt you're wearing. And the colors have faded so much that it's not even orange anymore."

Naruto's face got redder as he heard the litany of insults against his old uniform, the last one doing the most damage.

But Shikamaru wasn’t done until he finally dealt his death blow: "Frankly, man, you're looking very _uncool_."

Naruto looked at the tight sleeves of his sweater falling way past his wrists. He had gotten taller, which he was proud of. Deep down, he knew that Shikamaru was right.

Still.

"Yeah, Shikamaru, I get what you're saying, but..." A sad look flitted over his face. "I can't give it up. I just feel like Jiraiya's still with me when I wear this suit, you know."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto, who returned his serious gaze. "I _do_ know, actually."

Of course, he did. Naruto knew they were both thinking of Asuma at that moment.

Shikamaru continued relentlessly, "But you know Jiraiya-sama would be the first to rag on you about how uncool you are in that old getup. He'll savagely rub it in your face."

A vision of Jiraiya's pained expression every time he did something to embarrass his master flashed through his mind. It made Naruto suddenly laugh. "True!"

Shikamaru gave a sigh of relief, glad that his friend was finally able to understand the situation. "Look, Naruto, I'm not telling you to throw the thing away. Keep it as a memento then. Think about the future. You're aiming to be Hokage, so be more careful about the image you want to present to others. This gear represents the past, but you're not that kid anymore. Don't you want a new look? Something more befitting as Kakashi's _successor_. You know what I mean?"

"So in other words, new gear that's more Hokage-like, huh?" Naruto rubbed his chin, letting the idea simmer in his brain. His face suddenly lit up. "You're right! I do want something cool! But I also don't need to throw away this gear that Jiraiya got me."

"That's more like it," Shikamaru said with a smile. "You know our masters are always with us. They're never going to leave us—clothes or not."

Shikamaru tapped the left pocket of his flak jacket, and Naruto knew that's where he kept Asuma's lighter.

Naruto looked at his friend solemnly. "Okay, Shikamaru. When we get back to Konoha, I'm ordering new gear."

"Good," Shikamaru said. They started walking again.

After a moment, though, Shikamaru spoke again.

"And while you're at it, think about getting a haircut."

"Huh? What's wrong with my hair?!" This one caught Naruto by surprise.

"What isn't wrong with it? It's too long! You look so scruffy!"

" _What?!_ No way! Nobody's ever complained about it before!" Naruto glared at him as he ran a hand over his hair. "And you're one to talk! _I'm_ not the one wearing a ponytail!"

"Suit yourself, then. Pain in the ass!" Shikamaru snarled. "But you won't be getting a lot of respect if you look like a child."

"I don't look like a child!"

"Fine, you look like a dumbass, then!"

"I'm not getting a haircut!"

It went on endlessly. Naruto kept protesting and Shikamaru kept insisting until they got to Konoha.

* * *

Naruto grinned again as he shook his head at his reflection. In the end, he'd done exactly as Shikamaru had suggested. He missed the old way he looked, but he did feel a bit lighter now with his shorter cut.

 _Not bad_ , he thought again as he rubbed the top of his head. _I'm starting to like it. Short hair makes me look older. I think even Ero-sennin would approve._

 _Yoshi!_ He made a fist with both hands. Back to work. He mentally reviewed the list he needed to get done for today. All he needed to do was pick up the extra kunais for tomorrow's mission.

He turned the corner, heading towards Tenten's shop. Lost in thought, he bumped into someone. But before the other person could bounce off him and fall down, he grabbed their arm to steady the person... and encountered a startled pair of heavily-fringed, lavender eyes.

"Hinata!" he said.

His face broke out into a huge smile.

**Chapter 2: No Strings Attached**

Hinata was out of breath even before she looked up to see her rescuer's face. She was in a rush; she needed to get to the store before they closed, but Hanabi had teased her mercilessly for still holding on to her old purple jacket.

"Ugh! This thing needs to be thrown away!" Hanabi had pulled at the sleeve as Hinata was trying to put it on. "Good thing you've got new gear coming today. I'm so glad I badgered you into getting one. I can't wait to see you in it!"

She tugged some more at her sister's sleeve even as Hinata struggled back.

"Hanabi! Let go! I won't make it in time if you keep getting in the way!" Hinata pleaded.

"You don't need the jacket!" Hanabi yelled back. "Just _go_ already."

"And go almost naked?!" Hinata was shocked. All she had on was her normal chain mail and it left nothing to the imagination.

Hanabi laughed gleefully. "It's better than this rag you call a jacket!"

"Hanabi!" Hinata's exasperated laugh escaped her before she could prevent it. This was no good. Once Hanabi got going, she wouldn't stop with the ribbing.

"Will you just stop teasing me?! Really, l _et go_ 'cause they'll be closing soon and I need the new uniform for tomorrow."

Hanabi eventually let go of the jacket, her excitement at seeing the new suit was greater than her need to tease her older sister. She was sure her sister would look amazing in the sleek style Hanabi herself had chosen for Hinata. "Okay, but hurry back, Onee-sama!"

With that, Hinata had quickly zipped up and hurried towards town.

However, the delay with Hanabi had cost her a few minutes. Hinata was rushing towards the store with the intent to make it in time that she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going. She'd collided with a solid wall then found herself flung backward. But before she could fall, she felt strong hands grip her upper arms to steady her.

The next thing she knew, she was looking up into her favorite pair of blue eyes.

As always, the air left her, leaving her breathless and almost ready to faint. Hinata fought through it and made an effort to speak.

"N-Naruto!" she gasped as he smiled at her. "I'm so sorry!"

She could feel the warmth rushing up her neck and onto her ears. She willed it to stop, but she knew she looked like a tomato. She wanted to hide. Why was it that she could only show him the parts of her that were so embarrassing?

She squeezed her eyes shut for a minute to steady herself then slowly opened them.

His friendly expression had disappeared. Naruto was now looking at her with that usual puzzled look on his face.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Naruto asked. "You smacked into me really hard. You're so red! You're not hurt, are you?"

_You're so red!_

Why did he say that? _Oh god, how embarrassing!_

She was panicking. Not for the first time, she cursed her fair skin for being so easily susceptible to blushing. She needed to calm down.

_Breathe, Hinata. Okay, good. Now smile._

She managed a small smile and was happy to see his expression easing into his familiar grin as his lips twitched upward. She could feel the blood pounding loudly in her ears and almost missed his words when he spoke.

"Hinata, you okay?" he asked again.

"I'm okay!" Hinata said quickly. "Really, I'm _okay_. I'm fine."

She tried pulling away but found one hand still wrapped around her upper arm.

She looked at his hand and despite the thickness of her jacket, felt the warmth of it seep onto her skin.

He followed her gaze and realized that he was still holding her.

"Oh, sorry!" he said as he finally released her.

Hinata's eyes widened. Was it her imagination or he'd been reluctant to let go? His hand felt _so_ slow sliding down the length of her _whole_ arm.

She gave a little mental shake. No, Naruto wouldn't do that. He wasn't that kind of guy.

 _Unfortunately,_ she thought with uncharacteristic humor and inwardly smiled.

 _Get a grip, Hinata_. Focus, _girl_.

She steeled herself and tried to start again with a normal conversation.

"Thank you for catching me be..." she started to stay as she glanced back at him, but her train of thought suddenly left her as she finally got a good look at him.

"Your hair!" she gasped as she realized why he looked so different today. His golden hair was cropped shorter than usual.

Naruto unexpectedly blushed, making her feel happy that she wasn't the only one doing it right now.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I recently got a haircut." He raked his fingers self-consciously through his hair. "What do you think?" he asked, his voice suddenly held a hint of uncertainty.

Hinata froze. He was asking her opinion! What could she say? She struggled to find an appropriate answer. She feared that she would blurt out her secret and confess that she loved him on the spot.

She didn't want to embarrass herself any more than this in front of him. To calm herself, she looked down, putting her mouth closer to her pointer fingers as she pressed them towards each other, making small circles.

She'd always found that this relaxed her, especially when she felt overwhelmed and flustered. Unfortunately, though, she only did this when she was around Naruto--and she knew for a fact that he found this habit really strange.

She dropped her hands and finally looked up to see him still waiting for her response. He looked a little disappointed by her silence, which made her feel rude for keeping him waiting.

She had to try. This was no time to be shy. She’d vowed to become stronger, and this was an opportunity for that.

Hinata swallowed and forced herself to really look at him from head to toe, observing how handsome the short cut made him look. She also noted how far she had to look up as he'd hit another growth spurt these last couple years. The darker military jacket made him look more mature and masculine. Somehow, it also added elegance to his lean form.

 _Just be honest,_ she thought, so she said the first thing that felt right.

"I like it," she said, her voice shy.

He blinked a couple of times, which she took as a good sign.

"A-and, you got new mission gear, too! You look very ha-handsome."

It had taken everything to blurt out those last few words. She wanted to die. She was sure he could fry an egg on her face, it was so hot.  
But she was glad to see that Naruto was finally grinning at her in that lovable way of his, and Hinata would have been really happy to die at the spot.

* * *

Naruto released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He didn't know why, but her opinion suddenly mattered. Plus, she was the first person to see him in his new suit and he wanted to know what she thought of him.

_You look very handsome..._

Her words flowed through him. They made him feel warm and funny—but in a good way. This was the first compliment he'd gotten and it made him happy that he'd made the change. He felt vindicated with the new uniform. The old one, Jiraiya's gift, was tucked safely in a drawer at home, right next to the orange one he'd had as a kid.

"Really? Thanks!" he said, and he couldn't stop smiling at her as she held his gaze and actually smiled back at him. She also looked like she wasn't going to run away any time, which somehow always bothered him. Why was it that Hinata couldn't relax around him? She always seemed nervous when they were together. He couldn't understand it because he personally didn't think he'd done anything to her to make her feel threatened.

But this was something altogether new.

 _I like it,_ Hinata had also said about his hair. He knew she really meant it. He could feel the sincerity in her voice. But she'd always been good with words of encouragement, even when they were still budding ninjas during their genin days.

This time, though, there seemed to be a different meaning to Hinata's words. Again, Naruto felt her words wash over him, wondering how such simple words could make him feel happy. There was also something else: he felt an unfamiliar nervousness, as if he was receiving a gift that was precious and rare.

He felt awkward—but wonderful—at the same time, simply standing there and smiling at her. He wasn't sure what to do next. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to preserve this moment.

And so it took him completely by surprise when she suddenly placed her hand on his chest, stood up on her toes, and leaned into him to reach for something on his shoulder.

"Naruto...you've got something, like a piece of thread sticking up from this seam on your shoulder..." she said in a breathy voice. He felt the warmth of her breath tickle his neck. "I guess they didn't completely cut this piece off."

Hinata frowned in concentration, one hand resting lightly on his chest, while the other was trying to pick at that stubborn piece of string. She seemed to be struggling to grab it from his uniform.

He froze and he let her do what she wanted to. His heart suddenly started beating loudly in his chest, but he wasn't going to do anything to distract her.

_What the hell was going on?_

He was so confused.

Meanwhile, a pleasant energy, different from any kind of chakra or feeling just kept spreading throughout his body, starting from that one small hand on his chest.

All too quickly, though, she finally leaned back with a look of triumph on her face and she held up a tiny piece of black thread to him. "Got it!"

She looked so childishly excited with her small piece of treasure that Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, Hinata."

His low laughter broke the enchantment and Hinata blinked back at him in surprise—as if she'd realized what she'd just done. With a small squeak, she grasped his hand and thrust the short, black thread into it.

"Oh, sorry, Naruto!" she said as she suddenly backed away and started walking towards the street.

"Wait, Hinata!" Naruto yelled as she rushed off, leaving him bewildered and strangely disappointed.

He was about to follow her but she held up a restraining hand.

"I-I have to go! Sorry, but I won't make it in time if I stay here longer."

"Do you need help?" he asked.

 _"No!"_ She yelled in horror, freezing him in his tracks.

She waved him away again, panic in her voice. "I mean, I'm good, thanks. It's nothing serious. I just need to get to the store before they close."

"Okay," he said, feeling sad she was leaving him.

Hinata's face softened a bit. "I'm really sorry, Naruto! I really have to go pick up something at the store. But I'll see you tomorrow for our mission together?"

He brightened again with his easy grin. "That's right! See you tomorrow, Hinata!"

"Bye, Naruto!" she yelled over her shoulder as she ran away from him like demons were chasing her.

Naruto watched her go, the smile still on his face. "She really _is_ weird," he mumbled to himself.

But why did he suddenly feel like the sun had gone out when she'd left him standing there, alone, on the street?

It made no sense.

He'd known her all his life. She'd always been strange and jumpy, but she was kind--and a very good girl. To this day, he'd kept the ointment jar she'd given him during their chuunin exams.

He also knew that she was shy. Despite that, though, Hinata always made an effort to talk to him. He felt good knowing she always spared a thought for him. He knew from Kiba and Shino that she took care of them. When Naruto went on missions with the guys, he always heard about the kindnesses she'd done for them. He suddenly envied them their close friendship with her.

Naruto looked down at his hand still clutching the piece of thread she'd given him earlier. The pleasant warmth came back, banishing the negative thoughts.

He placed the piece of thread into his pocket and started walking again.

I'll make sure to thank her tomorrow, he thought.

However, there were still a lot of things to do today. He still had to go to Tenten's and grab the new kunais he'd ordered.

He felt like skipping. Naruto was really looking forward to seeing Hinata tomorrow.

**Chapter 3: Clothes Make the Woman**

The door banged shut behind her as Hinata entered the same shop Naruto had left just a few minutes earlier.

The shop owner looked up with surprise but relaxed slightly when he saw Hinata. His face turned to concern, though, as Hinata struggled for breath.

"Ms. Hyuuga! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she fairly shouted at the poor man. She pressed shaking hands to her heart, willing it to stop beating so erratically. She knew Naruto hadn't followed her, but she was shocked at herself for what she'd just done. What had come over her?!

Hinata glanced at the shop owner, who was still looking at her worriedly. He murmured instructions to his attendant to grab some tea for her.

"I'm sorry, I was just running 'cause I wanted to make sure I got here before you closed for the day," she lied. There was no way she could explain what had just happened with Naruto to him. She couldn't even explain it to herself.

"Oh! There was no worry. I would've waited for you, Ms. Hyuuga. I knew you'd come for your uniform," he said reassuringly. "I had other orders to fill, anyway."

"But I didn't want to inconvenience you," Hinata protested.

She welcomed this distraction. She didn't want to think about Naruto right now.

The owner waved her protest away. "It's no trouble at all."

He walked toward the back of the shop.

"Please wait here while I grab your suit." He indicated the seat beside the mirror.

Hinata glanced at her reflection and saw how disheveled she was. She looked flushed and her dark hair was wind-blown. She sighed as she combed through her thick hair with her fingers. She really hoped she hadn't looked like that when she was talking to Naruto. But she wouldn't be surprised if she had—it was always her luck.

She sighed again as she saw her favorite purple jacket. Hanabi was right. There was no way she could continue wearing it. It was so tattered and worn out. With her tomato face, her wild hair, and ragged clothes, she could easily be mistaken for riffraff, not a member of the Hyuuga clan. No wonder Hanabi had been so embarrassed to be seen with her.

She was suddenly glad to have these new clothes.

Just then, the attendant came in with the tea and offered it to her.

Thank you," Hinata said gratefully. She smiled when the attendant smiled bashfully and bowed low.

She took a sip and exhaled with pleasure. "This tea is really good! Thank you for preparing it."

The attendant beamed at her. "Ms. Hyuuga, you're too kind! It's nothing at all."

The owner came back to the main room with a package wrapped in white paper, whistling with delight, and eager to present his newest creation. He hoped she really liked it.

"Here it is!" he presented with a flourish.

Hinata looked up with eagerness. She put down her tea and walked toward the owner with hands outstretched. She ran her hands through the fabric and instantly liked the silky soft texture of her new uniform.

"Can I try it on?" she asked.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "You _must_! I'll need to make adjustments if there's anything wrong."

Hinata grabbed the package and ran to the fitting room. She didn't care much for fashion, but having new mission gear suddenly made her feel excited. She quickly stripped down to her underwear, then put on the purple top and dark shorts. She belted the corset around her midriff and slid on the new tights that came up mid-thigh. The boots were waiting outside the door. She quickly put those on, too.

When she came out, the owner exclaimed, "Ms. Hyuuga, you look wonderful!"

"Thank you!" Hinata said giddy with happiness. "It fits perfectly! You did such a fine job on the measurements. It's like a second skin."

She wanted to test how it would feel during a mission so she imagined an enemy, and executed the motions of her Eight Trigrams jutsu right there in the middle of the room. Hinata liked how nothing about her uniform hindered her movements.

She looked again at the mirror. What she saw lifted her spirits. She looked more like the Hyuuga that she was, strength and determination in the face that gazed back at her. She felt more confident because she looked more mature—and more capable, she decided. Like a first-rate ninja. Her father would approve--and Neji, too.

She paused.

Neji and Hanabi. Both so strong and so fierce. She'd always wished she could be more like them—and somehow, the new gear took her closer to that wish. Even if it was just borrowed confidence, she would wear it with pride.

She'd been dubious at first when Hanabi had picked out the fabric and the design, but now she realized how much her sister had such a gift for these things.

With a start, she realized that she'd been gazing intensely at her reflection for a few minutes. She glanced at the owner who was fretting silently by her side, mistaking her expression for displeasure.

"Oh, I just love it so much," she quickly said. "I meant what I said earlier. I think you did an amazing job with the fitting. I'll be able to complete my missions because I can move without any part of the uniform getting in my way. Thank you!"

The owner looked pleased, then bowed. "I am honored."

Hinata laughed. "Now I just have to take it off and wrap it up again. I promised Hanabi that she'd be the first one to see me in it. She wouldn't allow me to walk home in my new gear."

The owner nodded, silently agreeing with the younger Hyuuga's decision. _Wise choice, Miss Hanabi._

While he knew that the clan prided itself on its ninja strength—Hinata had just shown him how powerful their ninjutsu was with that recent display—he worried about the unwanted attention she might get in the future. And she was definitely going to get a lot more attention this time around because of the close-fitting uniform.

As a tailor, he was proud of the work he'd done because she’d seemed to really love it.

However, he was also a man, and he could certainly appreciate the elder Hyuuga daughter's charms.

"Very well," he said. "I'll wrap this one up for you. And don't forget that we can send you the spare uniform in about a week."

"That's wonderful. Thank you," Hinata replied happily and waited as they carefully packed the clothes.

She left the shop and walked briskly. Hanabi was waiting for her at home and Hinata knew that she owed her new-found confidence to her precocious little sister.

How interesting, though, that new clothes could make such a difference. Clothes really do make the man, she thought—and blushed as she remembered how Naruto looked in _his_ new uniform.

Even now, she felt breathless. The solid black color of his jacket made his blue eyes burn even more brightly and emphasized the burnished gold of his hair. He just looked so tall and commanding.

She envied his confidence.

A sudden noise made her look down and she realized she'd just crumpled the package in her hand.

 _She_ also had new mission gear.

Well, why not? Clothes also made the woman, she decided.

From this day forward, she was going to be a new, stronger Hinata.

She thought back to her actions this afternoon. She'd definitely been different, shocking the both of them with her sudden impulse. What made her do it, she still didn't know, but in the midst of her embarrassment, that piece of string had distracted her. It made her forget her usual nervousness when she was around Naruto.

For a brief moment, when he'd reached for her, she'd felt the strength of his hands--not to mention the warmth emanating from his tall form as she'd unconsciously pressed her body against his, trying to grab that damned piece of string.

In a way, she was glad she'd done it. It made her realize that she could get over her shyness. Maybe there _was_ hope. He hadn't seemed bothered or embarrassed by the fact that she'd laid a hand on him. He hadn't pulled away and he'd let her touch his body—freely.

Tomorrow, she would see him again. She was going to have to apologize to him, no matter what. Naruto would probably laugh it off, as he normally did. He was always kind that way—he never let anyone take on his burdens or let others bear theirs.

And there was that expression on his face when they'd parted. It looked like he was missing her, like he didn't want her to go.

It was something, at least. She could build on that.

More than anything, though, she would cherish the way he'd smiled at her when she'd complimented him. She was still embarrassed and had nearly fainted when she'd uttered those words.

_You look very handsome._

Naruto had looked stunned, at first, but as he'd beamed at her, she knew he'd really appreciated hearing her words. The warmth of that smile made her feel like she was staring at the sun.

The joy in her heart beat faster.

She would try again—maybe tomorrow, if she had the chance.

Yes, she could do it. It would be like practice. She hoped that the more she did it, the easier it would get.

She stopped as she got to the Hyuuga compound gates.

She squared her shoulders.

"Hinata, strong and confident," she said to herself, an affirmation and a vow.

_Strong and confident._

As the gates opened, Hanabi stood waiting, a huge grin on her face.

"Onee-sama!" she said playfully. "Hurry up and undress!"

"Hanabi!" Hinata said with a groan. "Don't say that so loud!"

"I'll do it again if you keep dragging your feet! I'm dying to see it!"

"Just for that I won't put it on for you," Hinata threatened.

Hanabi stuck her tongue out. "Liar! I know you want to show me. I bet it looked amazing! Come on! Don't keep me dying with suspense!"

Hinata laughed. "Let me through, then."

Hanabi grabbed her hand and they both ran inside the house. "When we're done, let's have a bonfire and burn that hideous jacket of yours!"

The sisters' laughter echoed throughout the house.

**Chapter 4: Dumb and Dense Some**

Very early next morning, Naruto found himself trying to control his yawn. He was waiting for his team members: Ino, Shino, and Hinata.

Despite the earliness of the day, he was looking forward to the mission. They were setting out on a journey that would be less than a day's walk.

One of the smaller neighboring villages had asked for a rescue operation to be conducted with stealth, hence the members that Shikamaru had selected: Naruto and his sage mode, Ino, with her mind control jutsu, Shino with his skill controlling insects, and Hinata's byakugan.

Two days ago, standing before the sixth Hokage, all four members had been given mission objectives. They were to rescue Lady Ririka, the sister of Lord Yurasu, who'd been abducted while on her way home from school. The kidnapping hadn't been made public so there was a chance to rescue her quietly without anyone knowing of the incident. The kidnappers, though, had already demanded a ransom.

The few clues from the ransom note had given Shikamaru an idea of where the kidnappers were hiding. He'd sent an earlier detail to scout out the area and was proven correct with his hypothesis. After confirming the identity and safety of the lord's sister, Kiba and Sai had sent a message back to Konoha. While she was unharmed, there'd been a lot more enemies than expected. It would be difficult to rescue Lady Ririka without backup.

Shino was captaining the four-member team and their job was to rendezvous with Kiba and Sai, rescue the sister, and deal with the leader quietly. They were also to disband the kidnappers and discourage them from doing harm again. Shino's instructions were to plant bugs on all of the kidnappers for continued monitoring.

As an added insurance, Hinata would disrupt the kidnappers' chakra flow and incapacitate anyone who resisted. Kakashi hadn't wanted to use the Hyuuga's byakugan in such a cruel way, but Hinata had been game. There was no way she could refuse the Hokage's orders.

Besides, she'd voiced her own reasons aloud to everyone in the room.

"A young girl has been threatened. We can't let the kidnappers continue to do something like that to others," she said.

Naruto had been impressed. Of course. It only made sense. Hinata had a younger sister, too.

"Naruto," Ino called out in her sing-song voice.

Naruto turned toward her voice and greeted her. "Morning, Ino!"

Ino slinked into view. She flipped her blond hair behind her and looked around. "No Shino and Hinata yet?" she asked.

"Yup," he answered with another yawn. He stretched out his arms wide over his head. "I just got here a few minutes ago. They should get here soon."

"Hmm," Ino said as she looked him over with her emerald eyes. She smiled.

"You finally got rid of your old uniform. Your new gear looks good on you."

Naruto stopped mid-stretch and blinked. He'd forgotten he'd changed his style. He grinned at her. "Hinata said the same thing yesterday."

Ino looked surprised. "Hinata said that? You saw her yesterday?"

"Yeah, right after I got my new uniform. I ran into her in town."

"What?! Was she okay? What exactly did she say?" Ino shrieked with delight. Hinata! Good for you! she silently cheered. She knew about Hinata's feelings for Naruto and was happy for her friend.

"Hm?" Naruto stalled as he tried to find an answer without revealing the truth. He didn't want to talk about it with Ino. Somehow, he felt that it was a secret just between Hinata and himself.

Ino looked at him expectantly and he knew he wasn't going to get away with a fib.

"She said she liked my hair and I look handsome," he eventually said with an embarrassed laugh.

Ino was flabbergasted. "No way!" It came out abnormally loud in the stillness of the morning. "She said those exact words to you?!"

Naruto took a step back. "Why wouldn't she say it? Something wrong with me?" He frowned.

Ino shook her head impatiently. "Not _you_ , dummy! Hinata didn't faint?"

He paused and thought about yesterday's events. "No, I don't think so. She got red in the face, but that's it. She spoke to me for a little bit, then she ran off 'cause she had something to pick up at the store."

He felt around in his pocket for the piece of string from his uniform. No sense telling Ino about that.

"Well," said Ino. Her face was impassive, but inside, she was doing a little jig for Hinata.

Hallelujah! Finally! She would get all the details from Hinata later. Naruto wouldn't know how to interpret words and feelings, he was so dense.

"And then, what did you do?" she asked Naruto, her gaze boring into him, trying to get him to realize how special Hinata was, or at the very least, how beautiful she was. Did he really not have any interest in girls?!

She pressed on. "Did you tell her she looked nice? Did you ask her how her day was? Did you compliment her?"

"Was I supposed to do that?!" Naruto looked puzzled. "She was busy, so we didn't really talk. Plus, she's always nice. She looked the same as usual."

"God, you are such a blockhead!" Ino screamed.

"Am not!" he shouted. He looked genuinely perplexed. "What was I supposed to do?!"

"Ugh! You are so useless!"

"You keep saying that, but I have no idea—"

"And that's the problem, idiot!" She wanted to strangle him. How could he miss what everyone in the world can see?!

"Ino," he pouted. "It's too early for these insults. What's the big deal, anyway?"

Ino sighed with frustration. Poor Hinata. How could she love this clueless fool?!

She smacked him on the arm and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "Listen, you!"

Naruto held his hands up in the air. "I'm listening!"

She tightened her fist, and the fabric bunched around his neck, almost choking him.

"When she gets here, I want you to pay her a compliment. Say something about her hair or her eyes. Anything! Just make her smile!" She scowled at him. "Got it?"

Naruto frowned. "Compliment...Her eyes..." he mumbled. "Okay, like her byakugan is awesome? But she knows that already! What’s the point of telling her that? Which reminds me, I want to ask her to give me tips for my sage mode."

Ino was done. She shook him as hard as she could, snarling, "Argh! You pathetic excuse for a man!"

Here she goes, Naruto thought as he went with the flow and let Ino shake him. Why was it that Sakura and Ino thought that they could just abuse him like this? Whenever they got into their rages, the best thing to do was shut his mouth and let the storm blow over.

"Already making a racket this early," a cool voice suddenly interrupted.

Ino looked up into the hooded face of Shino. She saw her angry face reflected in his dark glasses, but she just didn't care. She knew she looked scary, but she was just done with Naruto and his stupidity.

"Shino!" she said gratefully. Finally, an ally!

She abruptly let go of Naruto—who lost his balance and promptly fell on his butt—then ran the few steps to Shino. She grabbed his arm. "Naruto's being a blockhead!"

Shino looked at the shaken, disheveled Naruto sprawled on the ground and simply said, "Yes."

"It's not my fault! I didn't do anything!" Naruto whined, still sitting on his butt and scowling at them.

Ino ignored him. "I don't know how you can stand this, Shino. This situation with the two of them is unbearable."

Shino understood immediately. "It is what it is."

"Yeah, but poor Hinata, though!" Ino exclaimed.

"Good morning, Ino," a gentle voice came from behind the tall form of Shino. Ino looked behind and saw Hinata, her head bowed, standing with her index fingers doing their circle dance.

"Hinata! Why are you hiding behind Shino?"

Hinata glanced up with a sharp breath. "I wasn't!" she said, as Shino turned around with a questioning look. Ino also raised her eyebrows at her.

Hinata looked sheepish. "I guess I was—but I didn't mean it, though."

She stepped out into the early morning light.

Ino gasped. "Hinata! Look at you!" she crowed with delight. She made an hourglass figure in the air with her hands, tracing Hinata's womanly form. "You came fully armed and dangerous!"

Ino reached out to touch the new uniform and pointed at Hinata's chest. "Why hide these weapons all this time? Such a waste!"

Hinata glanced down self-consciously at her breasts and resisted the urge to cross her arms. "I wasn't purposely trying to hide them! They were here the entire time."

Ino stepped back and looked her up and down. There was no way shy Hinata would choose such a form-fitting outfit. It had to be her sister.

"Hanabi has great taste."

Hinata nodded happily. She demonstrated the fabric's flexibility by grabbing the edge and stretching it out. "Yeah, I was so glad Hanabi suggested this new cloth. It's so lightweight and durable—but really protective, too. It's like a lighter type of chain mail but it won't get in the way—"

Ino laughed and gave her a hug. "Don't you start that with me, too. You're just as bad as him! I meant that you look amazing, so sexy!" she whispered suggestively. "Naruto's already here, so go ahead and make him fall in love with you!"

Hinata returned her hug but she gasped at Ino's outrageousness.

Then she remembered. _Strong and confident._

"I'll try!" she whispered back.

Naruto perked up when he heard Hinata's name. He was even more curious when he heard about weapons.

"Wait, what?!" He skipped over to them and saw Hinata standing next to Shino. Ino was stepping back from the hug she'd just given her.

"Hinata!" he yelled and saw her smiling at him as he got closer. "Good morning!"

He ran up directly in front of her.

"Good morning, Naruto," came her shy response. She looked genuinely happy to see him and he felt his heart skip a beat.

But he was still puzzled about something.

"Ino? You said she was armed?" he asked as he proceeded to examine Hinata's form, looking her up and down, searching for the weapons that Ino mentioned. He walked around her, looking at the holster strapped to her thigh and the pockets at her hips. No sword, no shuriken.

He looked at Ino, completely mystified. "What weapons? I don't see them at all."

He stepped back and his face cleared, suddenly understanding. Of course!

His face mere inches away from hers, he grinned at Hinata.

"Hinata, did you get new kunais? Is that it?"

Shino sighed. Hinata burned red in the face. Ino finally gave in to her frustration, and with all the force of her dainty body—punched him in the eye.

"Ouch!"

For the second time that morning, Naruto fell onto his butt.

"Naruto!" she screamed, her eyes flashing demonically. "You. Are. So. Freaking. Dumb!"

**Chapter 5: Connect the Dots**

"Let's go," Shino said as he started walking.

"Come on, Hinata," Ino said as she pulled her friend's arm.

"But, Ino, I want to help Naruto stand up," Hinata said, starting for Naruto.

Ino didn't budge as she dragged her along. "No, he'll catch up to us eventually. Leave him alone. You and I need to have a talk."

She kept a firm grasp on Hinata's arm and jabbed at Shino's chest.

"Shino, you keep Naruto away from us because at this rate, I'm going to end up killing him before we even get started on this mission. Hinata and I are going to have a chat. I want some privacy. You know what I'm talking about."

She glanced at him meaningfully.

Shino nodded. "Go on," he said.

"Thanks, Shino."

He held up a hand, though, staying her for a moment before she left.

"Ino, I know how you feel, but take it easy on Naruto."

Ino opened her mouth to protest.

Shino continued, "Why? Because he's had a hard life—harder than the rest of us. He lacks a lot of skills because he doesn't know any better. We've had parents to show us how to act in certain situations."

Ino's anger faded. She sighed. "You're right, Shino. I just keep forgetting—he's not a normal person."

She pulled at Hinata and increased her pace. "Come on, Hinata."

When they were finally at a distance where they couldn't be heard, she turned to Hinata. "Are you really sure Naruto's the one you want? It's not too late, you know. You can—should—change your mind."

Hinata glanced back at Naruto, who'd stood up, gingerly rubbed his butt, then angrily brushed at his pants. He saw the distance between them and started running to catch up. She could see that his eye was already swollen and the bruise was starting to turn blue.

"Ino, that was terrible!" he was yelling. "Wait up, you jerks!"

Her eyes filled with love. "Yes, I'm sure."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Fine, I knew you'd say that. But Hinata, you're so wasted on him! There are so many other guys who'd love to be with you, but you just won't give them a chance."

Hinata suddenly laughed. "I know, and it's terrible of me. But I've loved him since we were young, and my feelings for Naruto haven't changed one bit."

She shrugged. "I can't help it."

Ino looked at Naruto, who'd caught up with Shino and was being restrained. Their captain was being true to his word and was giving the girls the chance to talk.

She sighed. "He's not all bad, I have to admit. He's certainly heroic, as we all got to see."

She continued to watch Naruto as he argued with Shino, periodically pointing at them. Shino shook his head. Naruto sulked, then shrugged as he gave up arguing. He put his hand in his pocket and smiled. He waved at her with his other hand. The damage she'd done to his eye was already forgotten—and forgiven.

Ino squirmed guiltily, but she kept on walking.

The boys continued trailing them. Shino kept silent, Naruto jabbering away, but both alert to potential danger.

The girls walked on.

A last glance back showed Ino that Naruto was silent, scratching his head. He caught her looking at him and that puzzled look came back over his face. It reminded her again why she was so mad at him.

"But he is so dense, though!" Ino glared at Hinata.

Hinata nodded understandingly. "With _some_ things, yes."

Ino wanted to hear more so she left a void of silence for Hinata to fill.

It worked. After a few minutes, Hinata eventually opened up and said what she was thinking.

"But Ino," she said, her voice full of wonder. "Haven't you noticed that once he figures things out, he goes all in and there's nothing stopping him? His rasengan. His rasenshuriken. His sage mode...He gave everything he had to perfect them."

Hinata slanted a look at her friend, asking with her eyes to understand. A gust of wind blew at them and she tucked her hair behind her ear when it died down. Ino continued listening, encouraging her to talk with a pat on the arm. Hinata was unusually talkative today.

"Ino, you must have sensed his feelings for us, for Konoha, that time during the war when he was fighting Madara. I think you know what I'm talking about. He's always giving it his all."

Ino nodded. She could never forget something like that. Naruto, who'd grown up without a family, had valued the bonds he'd built with his friends.

"I remember, Hinata," Ino said. "He was willing to die for all of us, his friends, back then."

Hinata smiled fondly. "He says it's a bond, or a connection with all of us. But I really think it's love."

"For someone who's been alone most of his life, he's got such an amazing ability to love others." She suddenly looked wistful. "And if he's willing to die for friends, just imagine, though, how much further he'd go for someone he truly loves? I think, once he figures out how to love a girl, he'll be a force to be reckoned with."

Hinata closed her eyes for a second, recalling the smile that Naruto had given her just yesterday.

She opened her eyes and was shocked to find herself in tears, her heart aching.

"Oh, Ino..." she whispered. "I _really_ want to be that girl."

Ino stopped in her tracks. She looked at her friend, whose feelings were so clearly expressed in her lavender eyes.

Hinata and Naruto would be amazing together—once he figured it out.

She gave a reassuring squeeze of Hinata's hands. "And you will be—even if I, or Sakura, or anyone else who can see, has to beat it into him."

"Ino..." Hinata said with a shaky laugh as she wiped her tears away. "Thank you."

Ino flipped her golden hair behind her. "But Hinata, you're not off the hook, either. _You_ have to do your part to get him to notice you. _You_ have to flaunt your body in front of him. If that doesn't work, I swear, he must be a eunuch."

Hinata choked on her laughter. "Ino!"

Ino chuckled, too. "Sorry! But I'm just so frustrated for you."

"I'm sorry," Hinata mumbled.

Ino squinted at her. "Don't apologize! It's not your fault." She shook her fist in the air. "I'm only sorry you had the bad luck to fall in love with such a goofball."

"I do," Hinata simply said. She hugged Ino. "You're such a good friend."

* * *

They were making good time. By Shino's estimate, they should be at the village in about an hour. He kept his gaze on the girls' backs, making sure no harm came to them. He was happy enough to see Hinata lose that sad, wistful expression on her face. Ino's reassuring presence and wise counsel was a blessing. He wasn't the type to give much advice—unfortunately.

He glanced at Naruto. For the past few hours, he'd kept up a one-sided conversation with Shino, who wasn't much of a talker. Naruto hadn't minded. He'd chattered on about their friends and various missions he'd recently gone on.

Shino's feelings for Hinata were brotherly. He wanted her to be happy, and her heart's desire was Naruto. Unlike Ino, though, Shino was more understanding of Naruto's cluelessness when it came to romantic love.

It wasn't hard to see. How could Naruto possibly learn about these things? From Captain Yamato? No. From his former teacher, the current Hokage, Kakashi? No. From his master Jiraiya? _Definitely_ not.

In contrast, Shino and the rest of Team Eight had seen their former captain, Kurenai, quietly, but lovingly, wooed by Azuma. Their relationship had been a natural blossoming of love. He only wished Naruto had seen it, as well.

In front of him, Ino and Hinata laughed again. The energy between the two girls changed subtly, became less tense, signaling to Shino that it was okay to approach them. Their serious conversation was over.

"Naruto, are you paying attention?" he asked.

"Yes!" Naruto snapped. "Shino! I've been alert all this time, keeping my eyes open for any attack. I haven't been slacking off. I don't sense any kind of harmful intent from enemies, so we're safe. I know you haven't either because you've sent your bugs on patrol up front. You'd know, too, if an enemy was around."

As usual, he'd misunderstood the question.

Shino hadn't really expected Naruto to be on the same wavelength as him. He'd meant the girls' energy, not the enemy. But whatever Naruto lacked in social skills, he more than made up for it as a shinobi. No matter what anybody said, he was a first-rate ninja.

"I know you're on alert for the mission," Shino patiently explained. "I meant, did you want to go on ahead? If you want to talk to Hinata or Ino, I think now would be the time."

Naruto looked chagrined. "Oh, sorry, Shino."

He looked at the girls. True, Ino didn't look as serious as before, but he shook his head. "I'll pass. I don't want Ino to punch me in my other eye."

He gingerly touched the swollen area around his left eye. "Good thing I can still see, or else I won't be any use on this mission."

Shino was silent.

Naruto let out a huff of frustration. "But man, why is Ino always so irritated with me? It's not just her, too. Recently, Sakura got pissed at me when I was looking for Hinata. First, she was happy. Then when I started talking about hitting up Hinata for chakra-sensing tips, she gut-punched me for no reason!"

Shino said nothing.

"I just don't get it!" he mumbled as he kicked at a pebble.

He looked up and saw Hinata laughing again with Ino. He smiled, remembering the way she'd placed her hand over his chest as she'd reached up to touch his shoulder.

"I think Hinata might be the only one who hasn't punched me these last few days."

Shino remained quiet.

"Still, though. She can get really awkward."

He looked at Shino, who hadn't reacted at all and was resolutely looking forward.

"But you know, Hinata doesn't seem awkward with Ino or Sakura. She talks to the girls and seems like she's always having fun. She doesn't seem nervous when she talks to other guys, like Shikamaru or Kakashi-sensei. And she's always laughing with you and Kiba when I see Team Eight."

Naruto kicked another pebble. "It's like I'm the only one who makes her anxious," he said quietly under his breath. "Why, though?"

Shino only cocked his head to the side wordlessly.

 _Connect the dots, Naruto,_ he silently prayed.

**Chapter 6: Burning Man**

As the village came into view a man with silver hair and a beard approached them and bowed in greeting.

In a low voice, he asked, "Are you the Konoha ninjas requested by Lord Yurasu? You were preceded by two others who go by Kiba and Sai?"  
Shino nodded.

"Lord Yurasu is waiting for you. Please follow me."

He led them into a large tent, where a red-headed young man, not much older than them was pacing back and forth. He stopped pacing to look at Sai, who was behind him writing in one of his scrolls.

He looked up when they entered and reassured Lord Yurasu, "It's okay, they're from Konoha."

The young lord looked relieved, his green eyes brightening. "Thank god," he said.

Sai said, "Good, you guys are here. I'm just writing to let the Hokage know."

He made a hand seal with his two fingers to release the jutsu. In a flash, the scroll transformed into ink-birds and flew outside towards Konoha.

"Sai!" Ino said with a huge smile.

"Ino," he said as he gave her one of his. He turned back to the others and explained the situation.

Kiba was closest to the kidnappers' hideout. With his keen sense of smell and Akamaru as backup, he was tracking the movements of the band.

So far, none of them had strayed far and were gathered close. Lord Yurasu's sister, Ririka, was in a tent guarded by two men. She was unhurt and could freely move.

"Thank you for coming," the handsome young man said with a bow at the Konoha ninjas. "I am Keita, and if you need anything please let me know. I'll have my men assist you as much as we can."

"Leave it to us!" Naruto said. "We're not leaving here without saving your sister. We're definitely bringing her back."

"I have faith in you," Keita said. "I believe you are Naruto Uzumaki. You're very famous even in our small village."

Naruto beamed at him. "Yup! Nice to meet you."

"But your eye seems hurt. Do you require medical help?"

Naruto's smile faded. He glanced involuntarily at Ino, who reddened. "Oh, no, no, this is nothing. I'm fine!"

"Are you sure? It's the least we can do. You've come all this way," Keita said, motioning for the silver-haired man to come forward.

Naruto shook his head and waved the offer away. "I'm good, really." He flashed an embarrassed smile. "Actually, this is normal for me."

Sai smirked.

Keita nodded dubiously, but he turned to the others.

Hinata came forward, her hands outstretched. In a voice full of conviction, she said, "Lord Yurasu, I know you're worried for your sister, but we'll save her for sure."

As she stepped forward, Keita looked stunned and unconsciously grasped both of her hands into his larger ones. "Lady Hinata Hyuuga! I am honored!" he said.

He started to bend his head into a more formal bow, but Hinata, embarrassed, reached for his arm, trying to stop him from doing so. "No, please, don't. I'm only here as a shinobi."

Keita frowned, "But your father and Lady Hanabi would be offended!"

Hinata shook her head. "No, they wouldn't! Let's not be formal. I'm Hinata, just plain Hinata."

"If that's your wish, of course, I'm bound to honor it," he said, his hands still holding hers.

Ino watched their exchange with a smile. She hadn't missed the way Naruto kept frowning at the red-headed man, Keita, who was dashing in his own way. He was tall, with bright, green eyes and an air of confidence surrounding him. As a village lord, he was used to commanding and being obeyed. In short, he was a young, desirable man.

This was the perfect chance to get Naruto to understand.

"Hinata," she called out. "Is Lord Yurasu a friend? You never told us you knew him!"

Hinata looked at her. "Oh, no, Ino. This is the first time we're meeting. Neji and my father often came here on clan business. Lately, it's been my father and Hanabi. I've heard of him but never met Lord Yurasu until today."

Keita smiled at Ino then turned his gaze back at Hinata. He said, "To my undying regret."

Ino felt Naruto tense beside her and knew she had to keep on fanning the flames. "Well! I'm so glad we're all friends. When we get your sister safe you can visit us in Konoha so you can deepen this new-found connection."

Keita nodded. "I would love to, but only when we get Ririka to safety."

Hinata's face was serious. She pulled her hands away from his, but she placed one on his arm. "Don't worry, we're going to get her back tonight."

Naruto kept staring at the pair.

* * *

Kurama, slumbering within the depths of Naruto's psyche, found himself abruptly shaken out of his peaceful rest by a piercing heat that burned and surrounded him.

"Tch," he cursed.

If this heat was what Kurama thought it was, the boy might finally be on the right track.

"Oi, Naruto!" he growled.

Outside, Naruto was still frowning at Keita and Hinata. He was suddenly startled to hear him addressed by Kurama. "Huh?"

He joined the Nine-Tailed Fox in the spirit plane. "What is it, Kura—"

But his question was drowned out by the overwhelming fire blazing around the beast. "What the hell, Kurama? What's with the heat?" He jumped around trying to find a cool place to rest his feet.

Kurama yawned and raised a brow. "Idiot. It's not me. It's _you_."

Naruto stopped and looked at the fox. "Me?" he asked.

And the blaze died away.

Kurama snorted. "Yep. _You_."

Naruto looked around him, perplexed. "What happened? Where did the fire go?"

Kurama ignored the question and countered with one of his own. "What were you doing before this?"

"I was with Ino, Hinata, and Kei—" He started saying and the fiery flames flickered up again, burning him with their intensity.

"Ouch! That's hot!" he yelled as he started hopping up and down again.

"Forget about them and come back, Naruto," Kurama said.

Naruto forcefully brought his attention back to the fox spirit, stunned to find himself cool again. "Huh. That's weird."

"You," Kurama said again as he tapped one giant claw against Naruto's chest. "Does this feeling remind you of anything?"

Naruto scrunched his face up, thinking hard. "Maybe the time we were in Kumogakure, at the waterfall before I started training with Killer Bee."

He looked at Kurama. "When I met the darker version of myself, the Naruto with eyes full of hate."

Kurama bared his teeth in a fierce smile. "Okay, we're doing good. Figure out why seeing Hinata with that Keita person makes you feel hate."

With that, the fox spirit aimed a swift kick at Naruto and knocked him out of his world.

* * *

Naruto's loud grunt of pain made everyone swivel their eyes at him.

He gasped, clutching his stomach. "Sorry, I was just chatting with Kurama."

Shino continued talking about something as if nothing had happened, and Naruto realized that he'd missed a lot of important stuff when he'd been in the spirit plane with Kurama. Apparently, they were going over the mission. He looked at Sai, whose face was utterly blank and completely unhelpful. Hinata was listening to Shino speak, but that Keita guy wasn't with her, which made him happy again. The young lord was off to the side talking to one of his men, the one with the silver hair who'd greeted them earlier.

"As I was saying, we're getting this done in half an hour. Ino and Sai will take care of the guards. Hinata and Naruto are in charge of getting inside the tent and springing Ririka out. Kiba and I will take the rear and cover the escape."

He handed everyone a map. "Make sure you memorize the escape path."

A few hours later, under the light of the dusky sun, Ririka was hugging her brother and the Konoha ninjas were congratulating each other.

The operation had been a success.

Sai and Ino had been quick to disarm the guards stationed in front of the tent. Naruto and Hinata had slipped in to free Keita's sister. Hinata's gentle voice had reassured the frightened girl as Naruto had whisked her out and into the woods. Nobody had noticed that the girl was missing until minutes later, when she was safely out of harm's way.

It hadn't taken long for the shinobi to capture all twenty of the kidnappers. The ringleader, who'd been supremely confident he wouldn't get caught, found himself on his knees facing the Konoha ninjas. They'd formed a threatening ring around him, blocking all escape.

Knowing he'd lost, he pleaded for forgiveness and promised never to do it again. He tried to justify his reasons, appealing to the other ninjas: the loud, blond guy; the one with the dog; the dark-haired, smiley one; and the green-eyed bombshell. None of them were moved.

The tall one in the hood and the dark glasses didn't seem to believe him, either.

"Hinata," he said.

The ringleader looked up to see a voluptuous figure in purple enter the tent.

Hinata strode unerringly toward him. With a loud _skrrrk_ , she activated her byakugan, found the most sensitive chakra point on the kidnapper's arm, and made her point. As soon as her finger hit the spot, the leader felt the most intense pain of his life. It radiated from his solar plexus, robbing him of breath, and his vision went dark. He tried to struggle but found he couldn't move.

He was gasping breathlessly and was rooted to the spot.

Hinata stood over him, her long, dark hair billowed about her, while her lavender eyes promised him death.

"You will never hurt another girl again," she said.

"Yes! Yes!" he promised in a desperate whisper. "I won't do it again."

She only gazed at him, weighing the sincerity of his words.

"I don't believe you."

"Please!" the kidnapper begged. He was crying from the pain.

"Hinata," Kiba called out in a bored voice. "Stop playing with the poor guy. I think he gets it." He yawned. "But man, this is only a small sample of what you can do with the byakugan. I'd hate to see when you _really_ go all out." He smiled suggestively at the ringleader.

Hinata hit the same spot on the man's arm again, and instantly, the pain left him. He quickly scrambled away from her and cowered behind the smiling Sai, who looked behind him and gave him advice: "Just remember that the byakugan can see you even when you hide behind solid things. We'll know if you've committed another crime."

He turned back to the other members of the kidnapping band who'd just watched their leader almost die in front of their eyes.

Sai continued smiling. "That goes for all of you, too."

Hinata blinked and her byakugan de-activated. She, too, turned to look at the kidnappers.

Several of them slid to the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

She was still shaking a few minutes later as she watched Keita give instructions to his men to wheel out the kidnappers. Shino watched them be loaded into the carts as he quietly gave his own bugs their orders. They'll be reporting back to him in a few days. He'll know then if the threat had truly subsided.

Hinata stood a few yards apart trying to calm her nerves. Adrenaline had helped her during the mission, but now that it was over, she felt weak.

 _Breathe_.

I did it, Hinata thought. She closed her eyes and continued to breathe deeply.

_Strong and confident._

Neji, I did good, right? Her inner monologue continued.

She smiled, imagining her cousin's reassuring voice answering her back.

"Hinata!" came Naruto's cheerful voice and she turned around to see him and Ino walking in her direction.

_Oh, God._

_Naruto._

He was beautiful to watch, his tall form moving toward her, not with elegance, but with a joyous energy that never ceased to leave her breathless. She wanted to hug him, remembering the lean, strong body she'd intimately touched yesterday.

_I love you._

The evening sun was fading, but the golden light reflected on his blond hair and his tanned face. Even with the black-eye, he was dazzling, his bright blue eyes still gleaming with mischief. His ever-expressive lips were stretched into a grin.

She suddenly wanted to kiss him and wondered what his lips would taste like.

He was close enough for her to see his face clearly, so she fixed her eyes on his mouth, watching his lips as he spoke.

"You were _so_ scary!" those lips were saying. "I'm never going to mess with you."

That was _not_ what she wanted to hear.

Hinata's smile slipped as she slowly felt the heat rising up her face again.

She didn't regret using her byakugan that way; it had been a necessary evil. She'd wanted to make sure other girls were protected. But she was glad she only had to do it once. It had been so difficult to keep up the act.

"Oh, I wasn't really going to..." she started to say, but another voice chimed in. This one was feminine and younger.

"Lady Hina—ta—!" Ririka said again, bounding up to her with childish energy. She gave Hinata an impulsive hug. "Thank you so much!"

Hinata smiled at the younger girl, who reminded her so much of Hanabi.

"Ririka, I didn't do much!" she said. She pointed to Naruto and the others. "They're the real heroes!"

"I know," the girl said with a cheeky smile. "I already said thank you to all of them. You're the only one I didn't get to thank yet."

She pulled at Hinata's arm and she was forced to follow with the younger girl, leaving Naruto staring at them. "My brother wanted to talk to you. Can you come with me for a minute?"

Hinata smiled. "Of course."

Naruto was about to follow them, but Ino laid a hand on his arm.

"Don't," she hissed. "You’ll ruin the mood. Wait here. She'll be back."

They watched as Keita approached the two girls. He bowed low to Hinata and started speaking. Hinata looked up at him, smiling, as Ririka beside her, held on to her hand.

Shino suddenly came up beside Naruto. He shared a look with Ino, who took up her cue.

She gave a dramatic sigh. "Don't they look _wonderful_ together?" she asked nobody in particular.

"Who?" Naruto answered.

Ino felt a blood vessel burst in her temple, but she held her temper in check and continued doggedly. She widened her smile and added more honey to her voice. "Keita and Hinata! She, with her dark beauty, and he, so handsome with that fabulous red hair of his! It helps that he's a village, lord, too!"

Naruto frowned. "Ino, what are you blabbering about?"

"Didn't you notice the way Keita couldn't keep his eyes off Hinata the entire time?"

"Hinata? Why?"

Ino gritted her teeth. _Remember, this is for Hinata._

She continued on, "Well, have you seen her in that new gear? It hugs every, single, voluptuous curve of her body. I think Keita likes the way she looks in it."

Now that Ino mentioned it, Hinata _did_ look different. Suddenly, with the new gear, there was a lot more of Hinata to see. He realized that he'd missed the changes in her. He was so used to seeing her in her old pale purple jacket that covered her upper body and the dark pants that fell down midway to her calf. Now, though, in the tighter-fitting gear, her arms and her legs were bare, exposing her creamy skin to his gaze. It reminded him of marshmallows. He felt the strong urge to reach out and touch her.

But Keita was the one close enough to touch her.

Naruto's frown deepened. Heat burned in him, not the pleasant one he felt when he'd been alone with Hinata yesterday. This burned more fiercely than the early one he'd felt this afternoon. He couldn't ignore it. It seemed to be burning stronger the more he observed the pair. All of a sudden, he didn't think Keita was cool anymore. He wanted to hit the guy.

Inside him, Kurama smiled.

Ino observed Naruto's darkening mood with glee. She slanted a raised eyebrow at Shino. _Should I continue?_

He nodded. _Go on._

She dramatically sighed again. "I guess it's only natural. Hinata's an attractive, charming, young woman. He's a virile man. He's bound to be captivated by her."

"Hinata? Attractive?" Naruto repeated, scowling at Keita. Hinata was smiling at something the redhead said.

"Maybe, he'll ask her on a _date_! How _romantic_ that would be!"

That startled Naruto, causing him to blink at Ino. "Date?"

Just then, in front of them, Hinata gave a merry peal of laughter as Ririka said something. Keita joined in her laughter and he placed a hand on Hinata's arm.

Naruto's hands twisted into fists. He took a step forward, growling, but this time, it was Shino who stopped him.

"Hinata will be fine," he said.

Naruto seemed to have just realized his presence. "Shino! How can you just stand there? Are you _sure_? You're a member of Team Eight! We should get her back. I'm going."

Shino held him back, only making Naruto angrier. He pushed at the arm restraining him.

"We don't really know this Keita person,” he argued. He pointed to Keita’s arm with vehemence. “What's he doing touching her like that?"

"Naruto."

He glared at Shino, who only stared back, his face calm. He pointed at Hinata. "Look at her. Does she look nervous, anxious?"

Naruto started with surprise. He'd said those same words earlier to Shino, but he'd been referring to himself and the way Hinata was always awkward around _him_.

But there she was, with Keita, looking happy, chatting with the sister and the brother. They did look nice. He'd never notice how beautifully dark her hair was, but it made a nice contrast to the guy's bright hair. Hinata tucked a stray hair behind her ear and then she smiled again at Keita.

No. She was not anxious.

He gritted his teeth. That smile, Hinata's smile, was meant for him, for Naruto only. How could she freely give it away like that? To a stranger, no less! To somebody not from Konoha!

He felt the loss of it keenly, like Keita had stolen away the smile she reserved only for him. Yesterday, he'd felt special as he'd gazed into her eyes, her words making him feel happier than he'd ever felt.

_You look very handsome._

And now there she was looking so sweet, with another guy that Ino was calling handsome, virile, and—!

He wanted to break something—preferably Keita's face. Or his bones.

The flames burned fiercely within, and Kurama only watched it with growing amusement.

"Besides, you just saw Hinata with the kidnappers a few minutes ago."

Shino's voice brought him back to the present, snapping through Naruto's rage.

"Yeah, but..." Naruto said. The urge to hurt Keita was still there. "I don't like it. I _hate_ this."

Ino hid her smile behind a hand.

Shino nodded to himself.

He told Naruto, "Hinata can handle herself. Why? Because she's a powerful woman.”

"I know that," Naruto grumbled. "She's a strong shinobi. It's something else...I just don't know what this is! There's something burning in my body and...I just want to go on a rampage. And it's because of _her_. And _him_! I wish somebody would tell me what this is!"

His friends were silent.

They couldn't. All they could do was help guide him and hope he picked up the cues. It was Hinata's right to tell Naruto she loved him. Her happiness, and his, depended on Naruto discovering the fact for himself.

Besides, this was more fun, watching him struggle to connect the obvious dots.

In frustration, Naruto raked his hands over his hair, growling, snarling incomprehensibly. When he realized what he was doing, he changed tactics. He then folded his arms across his chest. But he was still glowering at the couple, still muttering to himself in a quieter tone.

After a few minutes, though, he seemed to have calmed down. He lowered his arms and gazed resolutely at the couple.

"You know what? I _really_ don't like this!"

Before Ino or Shino could stop him, he rushed forward with a loud exclamation of "Hinata!"

The startled couple looked back at him, Keita with a frown and Hinata with her winsome smile.

"Naruto," she said breathlessly. She took a step toward him, letting Keita's arm fall away.

Naruto was suddenly elated, his earlier black mood disappearing. He was so happy, he grabbed her hand and tugged her along.

"Come on," he said. "Time to go back to Konoha! Bye, Ririka! Be safe."

He glared at the young lord. " _Bye_ , Keita! You're not welcome in Konoha."

He didn't care if he was being rude. He wasn't going to let her stay any longer with Keita.

Naruto glanced down at Hinata. "We're going home."

"Ye-yes!" Hinata said with surprise as his hand gripped hers tightly and wouldn't let go.

She turned around and called out to Keita and his sister, "Good-bye! I hope you and Ririka will visit Konoha someday!"

"Good-bye!" Ririka chirped with a cheerful wave.

Keita was surprised but he bowed towards them, which Hinata acknowledged with a wave. She turned back to Naruto, her expression a little wary, but hopeful.

Keita's eyes were speculative as he gazed at the tall, blond man walking beside Hinata. His death grip on her hand wasn't hard to miss as he tried to put as much distance between them and him. She, meanwhile, was smiling now, glowing, really—not even bothering to resist Naruto's pull.

"We should wait for the others," he heard Hinata say.

"Nah, let's go. They'll catch up."

"Okay," came her whispered reply.

Her voice was soft, but there was such a warm tone of love that crept into that word, Keita knew he'd never had a chance with Hinata.

He looked at Naruto again. His black eye was magnificent, but his bright blue eyes were peering at the girl beside him, his eyebrows pulled down into a questioning expression as he continued to pull her along.

"Hinata, you're red again!"

Then, a small feminine squeak.

"I thought so," Keita murmured with a laugh. "But I guess he hasn't realized it for himself, yet."

Ririka looked at him. "What was that?"

"Nothing, Ririka." He ruffled her red hair and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gazed at the couple, already so far away but still holding hands.

"Be happy, you two."

He suddenly felt eyes boring into his back, so he turned around—and found Shino and Ino looking at him, both with satisfied expressions on their faces.

"Thank you for my sister," Keita said with a wave.

Ino turned her gaze towards Naruto and Hinata then said in her sing-song voice, "Thank _you_!"

The words drifted cheerfully through the air.

She blew him a kiss and grinned. "For Hinata."

_End Notes:_  
揺らす Yurasu in Japanese means to “shake,” which made Keita the perfect character to “shake” Naruto out of his complacency.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! How was the story?   
> Would love to hear your thoughts.


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